In another sign that mobility technology may indeed be outpacing coding and reimbursement, 10% of respondents (up from 4.8% last year) said “product profit margin” was the most important factor in deciding which wheelchair and mobility lines to carry. Just over 60% of respondents (down from 66% last year) said “product quality” was the biggest factor. While CMS undoubtedly hoped to streamline part of the reimbursement process by eliminating CMNs, just over half of respondents (50.7%) said the change was NOT a positive development.

What lies ahead? A lot of that depends on how the industry’s legislative battles turn out. As Cara Bachenheimer and David T. Williams pointed out in their October 2005 “Our Turn,” CMS’ recent draft regional medical policy “took care to reduce consumer options to the item that is least costly.” One thing is certain: consumers will continue to demand the best mobility products. As you consider your company’s plans to meet this demand, we hope you find the following information helpful. DP

Wheelchair Scooter Survey
	84.7% of respondents offer mobile repair and/or service of wheelchairs and scooters. * Because multiple answers were allowed, percentages total more than 100%
66% of surveyrespondents report that scooter sales increased over the last 3 years, while 34% say sales have gone down. 89% of respondents offer on-site repair and/or service for wheelchairs and scooters.
	84.9% of respondents dedicate store floor space for wheelchair/scooter displays. 79% of respondents promote wheelchairs/scooters in advertising. 92.3% of respondents carry wheelchair/scooter accessories.
31% of respondents offer mobility products over the Internet. 65.5% of respondents do NOT offer educational and/or informational seminars for wheelchair/scooter users.